Beauty clinic: the best ways to get rid of body hair

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One of the most asked questions at this time of year is what is the best way to remove body hair. A decade ago beauty editors didn’t write about excess hair; the subject was as off limits as psoriasis and warts. We are all sharing more now because cosmetic surgery and professional beauty have evolved. At the same time, there is better understanding of holistic health and there are more refined home treatments, all delivering real solutions to beauty’s unsexiest problems. It’s a good thing.

The catalyst for change came in the mid-1990s when lasers were refined for commercial use. They work by exposing the follicle to pulses of light, which kill it. Intense pulsed light (IPL) works the same way, using full-spectrum light and typically on larger areas. Both methods are longer-lasting, faster and more comfortable than electrolysis. So if your concern is greater, denser or more private than that which can be conveniently removed with a regular depilatory, lasering/IPL is a neat, targeted solution; just be aware it can disturb the pigmentation of darker skin, which a good, accredited practitioner will explain to you (find one on the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology website, babtac). The number of monthly treatments you have, and the cost, depends on the area being treated.

Home treatments have developed too. Razors get more gimmicky every year, but all they actually need are sharp blades to be quick, easy and reliable. Results delivered by waxes and creams last longer – perhaps a month – and the depilatories you apply and wash off in the shower are a step forward. Epilators, which have rotating metal blades, do a good job on legs, with results lasting for up to six weeks, but require the highest pain threshold.

Smooth operators: Five to try at home

Gillette Venus ProSkin Sensitive disposable razor This is the one that the beauty editors secretly use. £7.99 for three, boots

Jolen Creme Bleach If hair is fine and sparse enough, this allows you to get away with only bleaching it. £4.19 for 30ml, superdrug

Nad’s Sensitive Hair Removal Crème Comes with a sponge, which you apply the depilatory to before using in the shower. £6.50 for 300ml, amazon

Veet BodyCurv Hair Removal Cream Made to adapt to body contours, so it is easy to roll under arms and along the bikini line. £7 for 100ml, sainsburys

Braun Silk-épil Wet & Dry cordless epilator Can be used in the bath/shower or on dry skin, and works particularly well on super-short hairs. £119.98, Boots